Ravishing Recipes!

Once again, it has been what seems like an eternity since I have last posted-sorry! I’m going to go ahead and blame the amount of stuff I’ve been doing lately, like planning my wedding (which is 42 days away-not like I’m counting or anything), my summer Baroque Art class, full-time job, creating my paintings/drawings, etc. sooooo much going on!

Any who, I have been reworking some classic recipes and will post them hopefully next week (in the effort for full disclosure, I have a dress fitting and am a bridesmaid in one of my best friend’s weddings next week so it may not be until the week after haha). But before I release the refined recipes I’ve been working on to showcase some of my healthy eating tips, I want to send you all two of my favorite go-to recipes-one of which is a weekly “go-to” meal. I promise they are healthy and will last a verrrry long time in the frig.

The first is my version of ratatouille! I originated it off of a version that my dad created and I ran long and fast  with it, and may I just say, it is my fiance’s favorite meal I make (allow me to take a big domestic bow right here).

There are two very important steps to this recipe-are you listening? FIRST KEY STEP-do not measure anything-no I’m not crazy… I’m serious! Don’t measure a gosh darn thing that goes into the pot. STEP TWO-let it simmer for at least an hour if possible (or if you like firmer vegetable less time). The reason for an hour is that all of the ingredients get plenty of time to get relaxed, loosen up, and show their true colors and flavors to their fellow veggy friends…now maybe I’m starting to get a ‘lil cray-cray’.

Staying on track [it’s Friday and I’m under tons of stress, what else would someone expect ;) ], those are the main steps, and the rest could not be simpler. I like to make the biggest batches I can at a time because that way we have it for days, but please feel free to adjust according for your living needs, styles, and healthy habits!

Here is what I usually put in:

(Note, yes I will be counting some vegetables but that’s just to give you a ball park ‘guesstimate’ of what I put in, the amounts truly change according to what our garden is ‘spitting out’ at the time.)

(Note # 2-our garden is completely organic so the vegetable size is probably a bit smaller and more regular than some versions in the grocery store or at your local farm market-just adjust it to your tastes…i.e. if you love tons of zuchinni-bulk up on that instead of or in addition to squash…this truly is a fool proof recipe-I PROMISE!)

·         1 or 2 medium squash

·         1o r 2 medium zucchini

·         ½ to 1 whole red or yellow onion (whichever kind you have in the cabinet)

·         ½ to 1 whole Bell pepper (whichever kinds you have available-we use green bells the most because it’s what he have, but we also put in banana peppers (frying peppers) now that they are being ‘spit out’ by the garden)

·         2 cans of diced tomatoes (Italian seasoned version is my favorite

·         1 can of stewed tomatoes (Italian seasoned again)

o   I will be making this and canning my own version once tomatoes start coming like crazy-which I’m praying will be soon-we have 9 tomato plants!

·         A little salt & pepper, and Italian seasoning

Now to how I cook this, pay attention I know this is going to sound hard haha...

1.  Thinly cut up the zucchini and squash and put in it a pot to start cooking-cover it with a lid
2. After just a few minutes add the chopped up onion and peppers-cover it with a lid
3. After a few more minutes add the three cans of tomatoes-cover it with a lid 
           a. Let it simmer for about an hour, stirring every 5-10 minutes (give or take) –simmer with lid on.
4. One important thing to do is CHECK ON IT during that hour! I don’t like it too ‘soupy’ so if you see it getting too liquidy for your preference, take the lid off and let some of the juice boil out of the pot-then return lid back on.
5. A few minutes before serving add S&P and a little Italian seasoning for flavor
6.   ENJOY it as a side dish or (our favorite way of consuming this delectable delight) having a large portion of it over 1 cup of egg noodles with parm cheese on top-yummmmmmy!

Looks amazing, no?!?

And now to my FAMOUS pesto that has gotten RAVE reviews (don't I sound so humble and modest? haha). This, unlike my ratatouille, does require a bit of measuring-but don’t be afraid to play around with it-I surely did. The way I came up with it is by following the recipe below and tweaking it to be heathier…allow me to explain.

Below is the recipe with my added notes to make it healthy…and let me tell you…it worked wonders!

•  2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• Use MORE than 2 cups. I probably used closer to 3 cups. This causes a more intense basil flavor which means you’ll need less pesto to achieve the same flavor-saving calories! Get it fresh from the garden or farmers market-it works much better! 
•  2 cloves garlic
•       I've made it with three before...just make sure you don't have to kiss anyone that night ;)
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Regular S&P work just fine
•  1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• I DID NOT use freshly grated cheese from a block of cheese. I used the kind you get in the bag at the cheese/deli section of the grocery store. It has a stronger flavor then Kraft parm in the bottle but has the same fineness which is needed. I tend to use more than 1/2 cup as well-I prefer a stronger parm flavor than oil flavor. Again, the stronger parm flavor means you will need less to achieve the same expectations-which means less calories consumed!
•  Combine the basil, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add oil and cheese and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Pesto...yummo!
 (Picture is a double batch in large jars)

Pesto is healthy for you (good fats), but too much isn’t good for your waistline. I found that by making the flavors more intense-especially the parm flavor, I ended up using less than half of what I would have used regularly. TRY IT! I promise you won’t be disappointed J

Now that I’ve shared my two favorite garden creations, I will be sharing my healthy alterations and revamps to meals shortly-they are coming out amazing, you will certainly be surprised (I sure as hell was haha).

Please share, what meals do you want to see revamped? What healthy recipes have you created that you want to share with the world of people trying to keep the bulge at bay? Please post them here!

Until next time, keeping the bulge at bay…

Healthy Hints...

Can you feel the heat?!?  No-not the sweltering heat that has been lingering outside for what seems like months now…nor the basketball team that sadly won the championship (I live near Boston, what do you expect me to say?)…rather, I’m referring to the heat in the…KITCHEN! I’ve been cooking up a STORM of healthy options from our home grown vegetables and I’m compiling a list of my favorite go to meals! Now, you may ask-what exactly constitutes a ‘go-to’ meal?

For me, a go-to meal is something I can either a) make in big batches and keep in the fridge for at least three days to enjoy/freeze in batches to quickly defrost and enjoy at a later date, or b) something I can prep and hopefully cook in less than 30 minutes (preferably 20 to be totally transparent) after work because honestly, who wants to slave away in the kitchen after sitting at a computer and typing for 8 hours-sounds fun, no?

Any who, I’ve decided to do a bit of a challenge both for all of you and for me-I’m going to take some staple meals and revamp them-the healthy way!

The reason I’ve decided to do this is because I constantly get asked –“what do you eat?” And as shocking as it is, this is SUCH a hard question to answer! I always think- ‘Wait…What the hell do I eat…?’ I have so many little tricks and ideas that I have been doing for so long now that I honestly forget that they are ‘special.’ These tricks and tips have just become my norm. But now, I am going to revamp recipes using these tips/tricks and am going to share them with all of you!

First and foremost-I’m going to use my garden as the main resource when I can, then the local farmers market second. After those two resources, I’m going to use your average grocery store-something that most people have access to! I’m going to share everything from a tuna salad you’ll die over, a simple homemade sauce that will keep you satisfied without more pasta, homemade pita chips with a great cream cheese dip, ratatouille that will cost less than 3 dollars for a large batch (if you have a garden-otherwise it will cost about 6 dollars-enough for at least 3 meals for two people though), a healthy homemade pesto, healthy canned pickles, etc.

With this being said, now is when I want YOUR help! There are meals that I either use all the time or have been working on to make them healthier, but I want some challenges from all of you as well! I want to know what are some of your favorite meals and I will rework them in my kitchen-this will give me a way to share the tips that are bouncing around in my head in a constructive way for everyone to utilize. There will be plenty of pictures, and I’m even going to be hopefully putting up a couple cooking videos! (No promises though, I’m not the most tech-savvy individual.)

What would you like to see revamped? (I LOVE a great challenge!) An alfredo sauce? Meat loaf? Potato salad? You name it-I’m willing to try it! In the meantime, I’m going to start posting the recipes I’ve been working on…keep the challenges coming!

Until next time, keeping the bulge at bay! 

Trying Not to Burst Your Belt OR Your Wallet…

“Hello, my name is Rachel, and I am a couponer!”

Yes, I will proudly stand up and admit my addiction to couponing. Couponing has saved my fiancé and I a lot of money (they say [whoever they is] 1 hour of couponing can equal $100 in your pocket)! But, it is not always easy eating as healthy as possible with a grocery list that adapts itself weekly to only the items that are on sale. I pride myself on getting the best deals every week, but sometimes trying not to break the bank could lead to breaking out the next size up jeans (damn that deal on Cape Cod chips and Cheez-Its...epic fail). These types of foods are commonly on sale in the grocery store, which combined with the matching manufacturer coupons create deals that can get you sometimes up to 75% off (or in one case the store paid me 50 cents to take the item home-I bought three-LOVE IT!). Anyway, couponing on a healthy diet isn’t always the easiest thing to do-but it can be done!

But first, there is one thing that anyone who is trying to eat healthy and save money should know. You must find unusual ways to save money and calories; yet be just as satisfied as you would have been if you had eaten a gallon of Rocky Road. For example, think about freezing low-calorie yogurt or even better, freezing a can of pineapple (Dole goes on sale very often) then eating them frozen. It’s like having a very refreshing ice cream dessert! Besides the cost effective nature of it, frozen treats like these take a long time to eat so you will eat less! (Warning: channeling Charlie Sheen)*winning*

Now, I want to explain two ways to save money because most people choose not to use coups; and for any of you who don’t want your coups-feel free to send them my way (just kidding, wait-not joking)! The first is the ‘Flyer’ way the second is just the ‘Couponer’ way.

The ‘Flyer’ Way:

Couponers (or anyone who is truly on a budget) eats, breaths, and sleeps by a grocery store’s flyer! But if couponing isn’t your thing-you should live by the flyers too! My hubby-to-be and I only buy things that are in that flyer. For example, last week strawberries were BOGO (buy one get one free-sorry, couponer talk) and the week before potatoes and onions were BOGO. The items on sale, especially in the fresh produce section, circulate often enough that you could be getting many different kinds of produce/products every week! Also, though the flyer shows some great deals every week, don’t forget to look for sales that are occurring in the store that are NOT in the flyer. Last time I went shopping turkey meatballs were on sale and I had no idea -now they are resting half in the freezer, and half in my belly!

I want to take a moment however and concede that, yes, there are times that you need to buy things that are not on sale-and that is OK…everything in moderation right (dieters know this best)? ;)

The Couponer Way:

First, if you are new to couponing go to this website: http://livingrichwithcoupons.com/ It’s a great tool for coupon virgins and explains the ‘ins and outs’ of couponing quite well. 

There are two important rules to couponing, and these rules especially ring true for people trying to keep the money in the bank and the bulge at bay. 

The first commandment of couponing is: thou shalt not be brand loyal. If you are brand loyal you are missing out on both trying new things, and saving as much money as possible. Be willing to try new brands and new foods-you may be surprised and find out that you prefer a different kind of cracker that you never would have tried otherwise (personal amazing experience with crackers)!

The second commandment of couponing is: thou shall learn when certain products go on sale. Granted, this comes with couponing experience but some of it is common sense. For example, diet products and low calorie foods go on sale in the beginning of the year because that’s when everyone is determined to keep up with those pesky New Year’s resolutions-we are all better though and do them all year round, right? haha... Therefore, stock up on products when they are on sale-which many times coincide with when there are coupons available for them (again refer to the above website if you’re confused).

Now you’re probably saying to yourself, ‘OK, so you explained couponing, but how does this help my waistline?!?’ Well, I’m glad you asked! Many times just because the coupon shows the full-fat, full-calorie, full-WAISTLINE, version of a product- doesn’t mean it won’t work for the healthy alternative! Allow me to explain.

I discovered (because of a manufacturer coupon combined with an in-store sale) that Tollhouse Low-Fat Crackers are a really great low calorie snack. You get 6 large crackers for 60 calories (one WW point). Now, I could literally have a love affair with crackers and cheese (may have cheated on my fiancé with them yesterday) so this was such an amazing find for me to discover! Another time I used a Nabisco coupon towards Nabisco 100 Cal packs and discovered a whole new nightly treat!

Overall, your healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to cost you your budget, and your budget doesn’t have to cost you your healthy lifestyle.

Until next time…trying to keep money in the bank and the bulge at bay!